GREEN BAY- Don’t expect the Packers to go for it every time they face a fourth down Sunday night.
Among several players places on the league’s COVID-19 list is punter Corey Bojorquez. Borjorquez tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, which, given the league’s new policy on quarantining after a positive test, means he could be back in time for Sunday’s game.
“We’ll have someone, potentially, to come in on Saturday to fill that role if we get the sense that Bojo can’t go on Sunday, but with the new COVID rules, he should be allowed back in provided he makes the progress,” Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur tells Larry McCarron.
As for battling the virus itself, LaFleur says it’s been a new challenge, but one he thinks the team can overcome.
“It’s one of those things you can’t control, it is what it is, and you just have to adjust,” LaFleur said Thursday. “You can’t dwell on who you don’t have or who gets sick, it’s one of those unfortunate things right now. The thing that’s both a blessing and a curse for us is that we haven’t had many cases up until this point, so it presents some challenges.”
The Packers have had fifteen players test positive over the past seven days.
On the field, the Packers welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Lambeau Field for their second matchup of the season. The Vikings beat the Packers 34-31 when the teams played last month. In that game, second year wide receiver Justin Jefferson proved too much to handle for the Packers secondary, racking up 8 catches for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“We have to absolutely do a better job with our communication, owning our leverage depending on what coverage we’re in and do a better job of adjusting our coverage,” LaFleur said. “We gotta play our fundamentals, we gotta play our responsibilities, we need all 11 guys doing it, we can’t have 9 guys on one play, 10 guys on another, it has to be all 11 doing what they have to do.”
The week 17 matchup is also crucial for the NFC playoff standings. If the Packers beat the Vikings and the New Orleans Saints beat the Dallas Cowboys. A #1 seed in the playoffs would mean a bye week as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Kickoff from Lambeau is set for 7:20pm CT Sunday night. Our game-day coverage on WTMJ starts with WTMJ’s Opening Drive at 4 o’clock with network pregame coverage getting underway at 5pm.